


Cursed

by 123Alwaysfree



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Cursed doll, Curses, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, doll - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 09:57:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14913230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/123Alwaysfree/pseuds/123Alwaysfree
Summary: Rhett finds a beautiful, life-like doll in an abandoned house and decides to keep it. His life turns a complete 180 degrees when he realizes the doll is alive. Or the CursedDoll!Link AU nobody asked for.





	Cursed

 

Rhett, being a thoughtful guy, usually did not do something as illegal and dangerous as blowing up abandoned houses with dynamite but to be fair, _usually_ he also did not have a temper as bad as he currently did.  The reason for his current offended and disgruntled disposition could be attributed to the argument he had had with his dad over basketball. Rhett had always been an obedient kid – always making sure to fulfill all the aspirations imposed upon him by his well-meaning but disciplinarian parents. Unlike other kids or hormone-addled teenagers who whiled away hours upon hours in carefree pursuits, Rhett studied seriously and brought home nothing but straight A s. He had started playing basketball and had intended on playing it professionally in future, thanks to his natural talent, interest and his father’s inclination for the same. However, it was during this time that he had also realized his love for the fine arts. He was good at playing the guitar and knew enough about playing pianos to aid during the composition of songs. He wanted to make music, attend film school, do something creative… something that would make use of his boundless yet oppressed imagination. Maybe it was the hormones or the constant association with peers who liked defying elders and going their own way, that he finally warmed up to the idea of disobeying his parents. He started by going easy on the studies - he still made sure to study enough that he’d get an A but he paid more attention to pursuing music. He skipped basketball drills. He attended more parties and entertained his friends’ plans of adventurous endeavors. He dated more and more girls and while he didn’t quite dare to experiment with boys yet, the idea of it didn’t seem as immoral and bizarre as it had seemed a few years back. This was something he hadn’t let his mind think much about, mostly because he was still afraid of the conservative society he lived in. However, he wasn’t much bothered about this revelation about himself as he wasn’t enamored by any man in his vicinity – it was mostly male celebrities, magazine models or dream characters that he had a crush on and it did not seriously affect his everyday life much in the same way as having a crush on their female counterparts would not affect his real life.

Anyway, over the past year, Rhett had become more fancy-free than he’d ever been and had consequently been subjected to mild censure from his parents – especially his dad who was more than displeased with the current pattern of Rhett skipping basketball whenever he got the chance. His father never quite voiced his disappointment but resorted to giving him the cold shoulder or a sarcastic retort every now and then. The tension reached a peak when he found Rhett playing guitar sitting on the tallest of the three burgundy boxes used for doing box jumps instead of doing the latter.

“You should be doing something sensible, Rhett.” His father spoke gravely, his voice tired from a stressful day at work.

The casual melody strayed into something off-tune as Rhett looked up from his guitar into his father’s eyes daringly. “Like basketball?”

His father smiled a combination of angry and bittersweet, “Yes. It’s definitely more sensible than pursuing film school, considering you have the talent for the former. You used to be so good.” He stood there for a while not saying anything and just as Rhett decided to break the silence, his father sighed in a resigned fashion, “I ain’t gonna tell you what to do with your life, son. You gotta decide for yourself. I just felt that you should’ve become a player, you had the chance. But if you ain’t doing that, studying engineering is probably a more sensible option. But do what you gotta do. That’s all.” With that he walked into his house, closing the door behind gently.

Rhett felt a familiar tightness in his throat. _‘You used to be so good’_ – what did his dad mean by that? That he wasn’t good at playing basketball anymore? Just because he paid more attention to music now didn’t mean he hated basketball or wasn’t proud of his progress in the game. He could still play just as good, if not better, if he started playing again. Or did his father mean he wasn’t as good – as in, he wasn’t as disciplined and competent anymore? That he was letting them down. His eyes prickled with tears as a wave of guilt, self-loathing and disappointment creeped in. A second round of contradictory emotions made their way as he thought about how his parents didn’t understand him at all and how he should be able to pursue his dreams guiltlessly.

He packed up his guitar and ventured into the woods behind his house. He walked until he crossed the eponymous Buies creek from which point onward he mostly wandered where his feet took him. Belatedly he realized it would be more comfortable if the weight of the guitar wasn’t hurting his already troubled back but there was no way he could’ve afforded to go inside his house then, so he accepted his predicament with a groan.

Anger at himself and his family, the fear of failure, disappointment, guilt and sorrow crashed in simultaneously like destructive waves that toppled him off the paddleboard in the sea of life. Being self-aware, he knew he was over-reacting too, but that annoyed him even further. His mind was going in loops of those same emotions but it was brought to a halt when his eyes caught the sight of an abandoned house. It was not uncommon to find old abandoned houses but this one looked like it was from way back in the day, that too in the middle of nowhere. Rhett walked up cautiously and looked around for any sign of squatters but it seemed desolate which was a little surprising because upon looking through a small crack in one of the windows the house seemed somewhat furnished. He put his guitar case by the trunk of a tree and decided to climb up the house in search of any entrances but just as he reached to grab the lintel of the window he felt a presence behind him.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” A coarse voice shouted making Rhett lose his balance. He landed with a thud and turned sideways quickly to find Jason’s older brother, Michael glaring at him.

“I was wiring up the house with explosives! At least have the freaking sense to check before entering! It could have gotten you killed, kid!”

“I was just looking to see if I could get in. I didn’t notice…” Rhett said slightly indignantly. He did not like Jason’s older brother much – he was too brash and cocky.

“Are you sure it’s not occupied, though?”

 “Nah man, it’s been this way forever… some even say it’s haunted.” He smirked before adding, “You wanna help wire the house?”

Rhett hesitated. “It’s not dangerous?”

“Of course not, it’s a highly focused way of breaching and it’s only gonna blow up the door. I’ve done it before.”

Rhett wasn’t one to approve blowing up houses but the idea seemed pretty tantalizing to his current frenzied temperament. Anger often impaired one’s ability to think rationally and made one do regrettable things. But what would really happen if he helped blowing up the house… it was deserted anyway. So, he agreed.

And this was how it started. It took a mere five minutes before there was a tremendous noise and not only the door, but a chunk of the boarded-up windows closest to the door gave away. Rhett didn’t know if said explosives were dynamite but he assumed as such. He felt his anger dissipate and turn into fear. But as they entered the house afterwards it seemed worth the trouble. With the smoke ebbing away dramatically and the red sun smearing the last of its light through the newly shattered windows, the desolate house seemed to be a part of one of those horror movies that Rhett’s mother was so keen on watching. He felt like a detective solving crimes or an adventurer exploring uncharted lands. The sea of cobwebs and the white dusty upholstery cast ghostly shadows across the room and Rhett had to suppress the chill that ran down his spine. Most of the scant furniture that existed were dilapidated from termite infestation. Looking around a bit he found old colorful bottles and paraphernalia in many of the drawers. There were a few murals painted on the walls similar to cave paintings. A closet at the corner of the room was invitingly ajar and he walked up to it almost expecting to find a dead body like in the movies. But upon opening it he found a bunch of old, dog-eared clothes and oddly enough a _doll_ tucked away in the corner. He picked it up gingerly.

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

Rhett felt an electric sensation coursing through his body making him drop the doll. He sighed in both relief and exasperation before turning around, “Yeah I was just looking around.”

“We better head back, dude… your parents must be expecting you.” Michael stood at the threshold of the room looking a little antsy. Rhett almost wanted to joke if Michael was scared already but decided against it. “Right, I’m coming.” He bent down and picked up the doll which he had dropped. The doll looked antique; a male figurine dressed in an old-fashioned shirt and pants. It was bigger than an average Barbie doll but not much bigger. The pink and orange light from the windows reflected onto the porcelain skin of the figurine making it breathtakingly beautiful. The doll had gorgeous baby blue eyes and flushed lips that were set in a charming smile. Its raven hair was soft despite its apparent age. Rhett wondered if the previous owner had kids or if he had been a doll collector but there didn’t seem to be any other dolls lying around so it was possible that he was an artist who made it. Either way, what surprised him most was that the doll looked strikingly realistic and Rhett almost felt sorry for whoever had to part with this beautiful specimen of art. He snapped back to reality as he remembered that he was supposed to be back home. He groaned audibly at the prospect of facing his dad after the silent argument they had had before. Michael seemed to have already left for there was no sight nor sound of the other man. Rhett chucked to himself before his eyes retraced the doll that he had kept back in the closet and felt his heart beat slightly faster. There was an overwhelming urge to take it home with him but he also thought of how silly it would be. Also, wouldn’t it be stealing? But as anyone who wanted something made up an excuse to have it, he decided that he could take it with him because it would be the perfect gift for Amber’s younger sister Linda on her upcoming birthday. He’d score some major points with Amber, whom he had a crush on, if she saw how wonderful a present he had chosen for her sister. Linda had apparently been driving her crazy to buy a Ken doll for her Barbie, and Amber, as much as she loved her sister and wanted to fulfill her wish, couldn’t do so for the lack of money. Rhett was invited to the birthday party on Saturday and he smiled thinking about how convenient it was that he found the doll now and therefore didn’t need to spend anything from his meagre savings. He also convinced himself that it wouldn’t be stealing because the house was abandoned anyways.

Putting the doll in his guitar case he started for his home and was slightly annoyed at Michael for leaving him alone when it took him double the time to navigate in the dark and partly unfamiliar woods. Finally, when he returned home he sighed, happier than he had anticipated given the circumstances. The atmosphere was a little tense but Rhett felt lighter and during dinner looking at the tired eyes of his father felt sorry and decided to make up to them for his behavior.

“Ben was saying he’s taking up civil engineering… his brother said it’s got good scope in the job market. So I was thinking…” He trailed off before looking at his dad, “I’m good at basketball but I’ll never be NBA level… it’s probably more sensible if I got a degree like Cole…”

His father nodded and smiled a tired but genuine smile. Rhett knew how much his dad wanted one of his kids to be a sportsman but also knew that deep inside his father would probably expect it to never happen.

“I gotta study for the exams… I’ll be upstairs if you need me. Good night, mom, dad.” With a silent apology he went upstairs to his room. He opened his guitar case and gently put the doll on his desk and decided to wash its clothes or at least brush off the dust to make it look like new. He opened its shirt delicately and marveled at the realistic texture and feel of the skin. He stripped the pants next and flustered immediately when his eyes came in contact with the very realistically and articulately rendered male genitalia on the doll. He didn’t know why he was expecting _there_ to be nothing in an otherwise lifelike doll. He cursed internally realizing it would be inappropriate to present the doll this way. He pulled out his set of paints and decided to color the objectionable parts before gluing a handmade doll-size underwear just to be sure. Just as he steadied his grip on the doll to put the brush on it he heard, “Hey! What the crap, man!”

He faltered and dropped the doll with a yelp, getting horrified even further upon finding the lips of the doll moving to form more words that his brain did not interpret due to the utter shock. When he came to his senses, the doll was already sitting up looking abashed and indignant while covering his privates. The brilliant blue eyes were more life-like than ever, blinking and glaring at him.

“What the fuck?!” Rhett finally found his voice.

“Yeah yeah… I’m alive. Everybody has the same reaction… now calm down.” The doll seemed unfazed by now. “You dropped me twice, man.” He tried to stretch his back but groaned in pain, “Evidently I’ve hurt my back.”

“I don’t…” Rhett started incredulously.

“If I can have my clothes back please-” Rhett still seemingly in shock soundlessly handed him his clothes. “Oh and look away please!” Rhett shook his head unbelieving and wondered what fresh hell he had got himself into. He was succumbing into an existential crisis when the doll spoke up, breaking his reverie, “So… uh… my name is Charles Lincoln Neal III . I should explain the terms of our transaction…” He appeared fully-clothed by now and rubbed his back, brows furrowing every now and then at the apparent pain from the fall.

“What _transaction?_   Oh Gods, I should have never agreed to blow up the house. Fuck. And now I end up with…”

“ _A cursed doll._ ” Link completed trying to look sinister but he looked more dejected than anything, making Rhett feel guilty. “Well, you kept me, so I’ll be stuck with you forever now.” He rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. Before Rhett could throw any more interjections, Link continued, “Let me tell you the rules… _I become your property after exactly 6 minutes 11 seconds of picking me up with the purpose of retaining me._ And it’s already been more than an hour so you own me now. _When you own the doll – which is me – you become its Master.”_ There was a tightness in his voice but he didn’t let it get to his face. _I have no supernatural wish granting powers but you can command me to do anything you desire within the realm of possibility. Once you own the doll you cannot get rid of it – you retain ownership till death._ And you can’t kill me, so don’t try.”

He gulped visibly which made his Adam’s apple bob, “But you can _forfeit ownership of the doll…_ to do that the current owner and the potential owner must consentaneously exchange it. The current owner must inform the potential owner about the aforementioned rules and the latter must acknowledge them and agree to acquire ownership. Once the agreement is complete, the doll instantly becomes the property of the new owner and the previous owner is absolved of all the pre-existing rules. The previous owner shall forget any and all memory associated with the doll in exactly 6 minutes 40 seconds. That’s all.” Link informed with practiced ease.

Rhett stood up “Wait, wait… give me some time to comprehend this.” He said shaking his head looking lost and burdened with this newfound information. He walked into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He stepped into the shower and let his thoughts cascade down like the steady droplets of water. _What kind of trap did he fall into? Did he become cursed too? How was it possible for such occult stuff to exist? This couldn’t possibly be a prank… no, of course not, there was no scientific explanation for this. Now that he had apparently become the doll’s ‘Master’ how should he interact with him?_ He pondered the rules over and over again. After about 20 minutes of reflection, he dried himself off and felt a notch better now that he was clean as well as mostly composed.

When he got to his desk the doll wasn’t there anymore. He panicked for a moment before locating it right at the foot of the desk.

“Hey, next time don’t leave without listening to what I have to say!” The doll exclaimed aggressively before apparently realizing he was now the property of Rhett and the latter could hurt him if he wanted at which point his voice softened into a more formal albeit nervous tone, “So… uh…”

“Sorry… for leaving abruptly and dropping you twice.” Rhett apologized before kneeling down to look as unassuming and harmless as possible, “I’m Rhett McLaughlin.”

“Hello, Master. So, you understand all the rules of ownership? Any questions or doubts?”

Rhett visibly winced at the title. “Call me Rhett, please. No Master. Also if what you said is true, then please know that I have no interest in… um… becoming a _Master_ or whatever. You should be able to live freely. Granted you won’t try to kill me now that you’re at liberty to do what you want, Charles?” He chuckled half nervous half amicable.

The doll remained motionless for a while searching Rhett’s eyes for sincerity. When that was all he found, he gulped a bit astonished. He let a ghost of a smile adorn his face momentarily before it was gone. “No… I can’t kill you. Oh, and you can call me Link.”

“Link. Okay… so, uh you’ll be able to do everything on your own right? You won’t have to wait for my instructions or anything to function, right?”

Link hesitated for a while still unbelieving of Rhett’s benevolence. He was unsure whether relaying this information could lead to Rhett using it to his advantage and putting restrains on his liberty. Rhett was about to reassure him again of his intentions when he said in a low voice, “Yeah… I can function independently… but of course you can put restrictions if you want.”

“I see. Well… I’m not putting any restrictions on you. But just be careful… I’ve got my parents living here and I don’t want them to know, okay? By the way, they can see you’re alive too, right?”

“Yeah… but they can’t control me. You’re my Master. But I understand… I’ll be careful not to raise any suspicions of being alive.”

“Good. Also, are you obligated to tell the rules to whoever picks you up?”

“Yes. I’m obligated to tell you the 6 fundamental rules of ownership.”

Rhett wondered briefly if there were any hidden rules and clauses but decided to let it go for the time being. “Alright… so what should I get you? You must be hungry?”

“I don’t need food to sustain myself but when I don’t eat I feel hungry. Similarly, I won’t die of exhaustion if I don’t sleep but I get tired. I guess I was made to feel the same things as any human would but I cannot die. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to trouble yourself with bringing me food… I haven’t eaten anything in a long time and by now I’m accustomed to feeling famished so it isn’t unbearable anymore.”

 _So it’s almost an eternal cycle of suffering for you._  Rhett wondered internally. He also wondered how long Link must have been a doll or if he always was a doll to begin with and if not, how he became a doll. He didn’t want to burden Link with so many questions at once so he said, “How about you get cleaned up first? I’ll bring a tub filled with water and a towel. You can freshen up. I can help if you need.”

“Thank you… I’ll be fine.” Link replied a little flushed and extremely grateful.

“There’s not much in the fridge now… but I guess I could make cereal? I’ll bring that for you.” Rhett stated absorbed in mapping new ideas and plans in his head before arranging the tub of warm water for Link on the floor. “When you’re done, you can wrap this handkerchief around you… I’ll wash your clothes tomorrow so they’re fresh to wear. Or…or I could make new clothes for you!” Rhett added, a notch excited.

Link suppressed the small smile of wonder that threatened to emerge on his face. He was so used to hostility and indifference from previous owners that he was afraid to accept Rhett’s guileless hospitality and kindness at face value. He tried to extinguish the small flame of hope that burned inside him for he knew it would not end well. It never ended well. Even owners who were kind to him at first became just like the others when they realized how his presence affected their lives.

Link had just completed wrapping himself up in the clean handkerchief when Rhett appeared with the smallest bowl he could find along with a tea spoon.

“Frosted mini wheats. I don’t know if you’d like it but like I said there’s not much in the fridge so...”

“No, it’s… fine. I’ve never ate cereal before… of course, I’ve seen it many times but…” He supplied in a small voice making Rhett even more curious about him.

“Here.” Rhett filled the tea spoon with as much milk and ground up cereal as it could hold and held it up to Link’s mouth. The latter opened his mouth uncertain before accepting the morsel. There was an odd expression on his face before he let out a small whimper.

“Are you alright?! Was the milk too hot? Was –”

“It’s amazing… it’s _wonderful!_ ” Link exclaimed in ecstasy cutting off Rhett’s panic-fueled questioning. 

Rhett let out a small chuckle at Link’s adorable reaction. A proper smile broke into his face now and he blushed slightly, “It’s been so long… I couldn’t contain myself.”

“It’s perfectly alright, Link.” He held out another spoonful of cereal. This time Link devoured it with much gusto which became a pattern for all the morsels that followed.

“Ahh, it’s – it’s more than enough… thank you Master –”

“Rhett” He corrected.

“Yes, Rhett… thank you… I don’t know what to say…”

Rhett smiled in response, “So… why don’t you get a good night’s sleep. You must be tired. Uh, may I?” He gestured vaguely asking permission for picking him up.

“Ah yes, thanks… It’s hard for me to climb furniture by myself” Link replied before he was gingerly picked up by Rhett. He flustered slightly at the contact. “You’re pretty tall for a human…” He made an offhanded observation to quell the awkwardness.

Rhett set him gently on his bed and pulled out the thinnest comforter, putting it just right on him, careful not to suffocate him. “Don’t worry… I’m not gonna crush you in my sleep or anything. I don’t move around in my sleep and I’m a light sleeper. But just in case…” He placed a pillow between them as a barricade.

“Thank you again.”

“No problem. Good night, Link.” Turning the lights off, Rhett settled in the bed making sure to maintain a polite distance. He knew it would be a long time before he could get any sleep tonight. Closing his eyes he let his thoughts untangle naturally and after a while when he opened his eyes to check on Link he found him sleeping peacefully, his mouth hung open. _“This is mythical.”_ Rhett whispered to himself awestruck before closing his eyes again and if Link wasn’t asleep he’d agree with him as it was indeed mythical for a cursed doll like him to be picked up by someone as remarkable as Rhett McLaughlin.  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm new to the fandom and this is my first attempt at a Rhett & Link fanfic so I don't expect much but I hope you liked it. This is probably going to be a pretty big story but I am not sure how many chapters yet. I'd really appreciate some comments!


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